Russia declared a terrorist country. What does the European Parliament’s declaration mean, and will the U.S. be the next to adopt it?

Author

Olexandra Zakharova

Following the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the European Parliament, as expected, recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. The resolution states that Russia has killed thousands of Ukrainians with its indiscriminate strikes, and terrorists resort to torture, executions, and other atrocities in the occupied territories.

In addition, EU lawmakers called to include "the Wagner Group", the so-called "Kadyrovites", and other armed groups of invaders on the EU’s terrorist list.

What is the significance of the resolution of the European Parliament for Ukraine, and what consequences will it have for Russia?

What is the meaning of the European Parliament’s resolution on declaring Russia a state sponsor of terrorism?

The resolution of the European Parliament, like that of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Monday, November 21, is declarative but not "empty". While the NATO PA is rather adjusting the "political clock" between the NATO countries regarding their attitude toward Russia's actions, the MEPs, who have legal mandates at the EU level, call and encourage the European Commission to make certain decisions.

Moreover, as Volodymyr Fesenko, Chairman of the Board of the Penta Center of Applied Political Studies, explained in his previous commentary for , it’s not a specific resolution of a country or international organization that is important but a chain of such resolutions.

He believes that eventually, after a special international tribunal is established, it will enable bringing to justice not only those who were directly engaged in Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine but also Russia’s political leadership.

State sponsor of terrorism: what the consequences may be for Russia

Among the consequences of recognizing a state as a sponsor of terrorism, the Yermak-McFaul Sanctions Group in its article for Ukrainska Pravda named the utmost diplomatic "blackout":

The more countries and organizations recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, the more its diplomatic life will resemble the isolation of North Korea — other countries’ embassies and consulates will be withdrawn from Russia, or their staff will be reduced to a minimum, and diplomatic contacts will be minimized.
Aside from establishing the international tribunal, such a declaration will aid in the collection of reparations from Russia for the harm done to Ukraine (in theory, all victims will be able to seek compensation against Russian assets).
The sanctions regime around the terrorist state will not be weakened but only strengthened.

What will happen if the U.S. recognizes Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism?

If the U.S. also recognizes Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, the consequences will be much more serious, including:

U.S. residents will not be able to engage in any trade and financial transactions with Russia.
Accounts and property owned by Russian official institutions in the U.S. will be frozen, and sanctions will be imposed on anyone who trades with Russia despite the American ban.
Russian accounts around the world will also be blocked, including in China, if it does not risk being sanctioned by the U.S.
Not only will the accounts and property of Russian state institutions be frozen, but also those of private organizations and the state's leadership.
Jurisdictional immunity of Russian assets and accounts in the U.S. will be lifted, which means that U.S. citizens will be able to claim and receive compensation from the Russian Federation at the expense of the Kremlin's frozen assets.

The current U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism includes four countries:

Iran;
North Korea;
Cuba;
Syria.

To put Russia on the list, the respective decision has to be made by the U.S. State Department or Congress. However, in the latter case, the bill must be signed by the U.S. President Joe Biden.

Why hasn’t the U.S. recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism?

As Volodymyr Fesenko explained to , the U.S. is reluctant to make such a decision for purely pragmatic reasons: it would interrupt a series of negotiations they are conducting with Russia — in particular, on the release of U.S. citizens from captivity, as well as containment of the nuclear threat from Moscow.

"That is why the U.S. does not want to take unnecessary conflict steps yet," said the political scientist.

Petro Burkovskyi, Executive Director of the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation, emphasized in his commentary for that the resolution of the European Parliament can be somewhat more significant than the previous resolution of the NATO PA.

While the NATO delegates declared their evaluation of Russia’s actions, the European Parliament called on the EU to take specific steps, including prompt adoption of a new package of sanctions, recognition of illegal armed groups as terrorists, etc.

Can Russia rid itself of its terrorist status?

The process of removing Russia from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, if ever, is not so simple. It can last years, if not decades.

However, unfortunately, even extreme isolation cannot destroy Russia as a state very soon. Nevertheless, it will significantly limit its international contacts, banking operations, and opportunities for trade maneuvers, in particular with countries with which it has friendly or at least neutral relations.